The owner of the Center and Crescent avenue properties previously was ordered to make repairs, solicitor Edward Leymarie Jr. said. The properties will be torn down and liens and civil suits will be filed against the property owner - David J. Lutz.

In addition, the house on Fountain Avenue has been given to the borough by the property owner - Charles L. Hardester Jr.

Councilman Anthony "Lefty" DeCarbo suggested also filing summary criminal offenses against owners who neglect their properties. "We (the borough) tear down and lien (the properties), and the owner gets away scot-free," he said.

A growing number of properties foreclosed and now owned by banks are becoming problems, said Jackie Grover, the borough's code enforcement officer and an employee of CodeSys. Many of these properties have high grass which has to be cut by borough employees.

She said the borough cut the grass at 1114 S. Second St. and the work revealed bees and rodents.

She said other houses are becoming problems as well, such as one along Wayne Avenue that is so heavily infested with termites that the floor supports are being eaten away.

A house on Hazel Avenue has a problem with mold and could require an expert to assess the damage to see whether it can be cleaned, she said.

"I don't want to tear down Ellwood City," Grover said in asking council for more funding to help assess and deal with problem properties.

Leymarie said that code enforcement is expensive and that the borough realizes very little in the way of reimbursement.

Council decided that borough workers would clean trash and debris from condemned properties.

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